Dear Editor,
Re: “Here we go again,” News, April 3.
Thank you for bringing attention to the zoning issues surrounding Onni’s Imperial Landing development.
When you ask either merchants or residents of the Steveston area what they would like to see happen with these empty buildings, you will likely not get the same answer from anyone.
However, most will agree that they would like to see something happen with them, rather than having them continue to sit empty forever. I do not believe that Onni has ever had any intention to use the space as prescribed in its current zoning of mixed maritime use.
And I do believe that they will wait as long as it takes, even if it’s five or 10 years of empty buildings, in an attempt to shame the city into giving them the retail zoning that they want. This project, to Onni, is miniscule compared to their full portfolio.
The Steveston Merchants Association (SMA) has had many discussions with city officials, Onni representatives, Steveston merchants, and residents. A compromise proposal was created after close to a year of discussions. It is a compromise where nobody really has an outright win (a sure sign of a fair deal), but everyone stops losing. The proposal that the SMA put together is as follows:
- Allow Onni to rezone 25 per cent to retail space, giving the residents a new restaurant/clothing, grocery store, etc.
- Mandate that 25 per cent of the development remain as mixed maritime use. This mixed maritime space could be easily filled, I believe, if the city was able to build a marina in front of this development. There are currently over 400 people on a waiting list to moor their boats in Richmond.
- Mandate that 50 per cent of the development be leased out as office space. This will give existing merchants new customers. It will provide Onni with a higher lease rate than mixed maritime (but lower than retail).
It has been almost a year since the topic of the Onni development rezoning has hit the media and social networks. It is always the summer months that seem to bring this to the forefront.
As I understand, and logically, I don’t think the city can force Onni to take tenants. And I don’t think Onni has any real intentions of accepting anything other than 100 per cent retail, at much higher rates than they would fetch under the current zoning.
It is a very slippery slope to allow developers to build whatever they want with the intention of strong-arming a rezoning later on. The buildings have been designed for retail rather than mixed maritime. I believe that Onni’s true intentions were evident from the start.
This company appears to have no interest in the community of Steveston as a whole; no interest in preserving its heritage, or enhancing the residents’ experience, and they do not care about the existing merchants. If the city gives in to Onni’s “wait them out” approach, this will open the door for other developers to do the same.
With both sides not moving for different reasons, what will trigger the eventual occupation of the development? In my opinion, this will happen when the city is able to put plans in place for a marina on some scale.
This should and could be funded by Onni, either fully or partially. The city needs to stand firm on this and continue to work for an outcome that benefits Steveston’s residents and tenants, both currently and for generations to come.
Jim van der Tas
Blue Canoe Waterfront Restaurant
President SMA
